The Australian
30 NOV 2005
AFI Awards repay Nine in ratings - REEL TIME By Lawrie Zion
IT remains to be seen to what extent last weekend's AFI Awards will
boost box office for the winning films. But the television broadcast
of the event, hosted by Russell Crowe, has been a ratings success for
the Nine Network. Despite its timeslot (it didn't start until almost
11pm), the telecast drew an audience of about 900,000 people across
Australia, close to twice the usual figure for ratings winners late
on Saturday night. At its peak the program attracted market shares
ranging from 41per cent in Melbourne and Perth to more than 54per cent
in Adelaide. Prime time next year, perhaps?
********************
Herald Sun
30 NOV 2005
AFI gets Nine lives By ROBERT FIDGEON
ONE had to get the matchsticks out to ensure the eyes remained propped
open, and keep the coffee percolating into the wee small hours, but
at the end of it all the wait was worth it.
I'm talking, of course, of the AFI Awards, which went to air on Nine
at 10.55pm on Saturday.
Why was the wait worth it?
Simply because Saturday night's telecast may have been the event that
ensured the awards' survival. Like the Logies, no matter how worthy
one deems the AFI awards, they have a limited future without television
support.
Nine has propped up the Logies for years. The ABC and SBS have lent
their support to the AFIs, but the telecasts have been such dismal
offerings, viewers simply weren't interested.
Without television support, the Logies and the AFIs would be reduced
to lavish dinners that down the years would become less and less lavish,
and as a result attract less and less corporate support, to the point
where both would wither and die.
And make no mistake, the AFI Awards was on its last chance. It was
about to fall over as a gala event screened on TV.
But on Saturday night, more than 800,000 viewers saw the opening, which
is a good figure given it didn't start until most people were in bed.
One radio reporter stated on Monday morning that the figure was disappointing
because it dropped to about 100,000 by its 1.30am close.
What did he expect at that time of the morning, for a 2 1/2-hour awards
show viewers, in previous years, had shown they didn't want to know?
Even when it screened much earlier in the night.
My recollection is that Saturday night's 850,000 figure at 10.55 was
well in excess of anything achieved earlier in the evening for some
time.
Producers Paul Dainty and former Logies executive producer Peter Wynne
deserve a big pat on the back for pumping some genuine style and polish
into what had become little more than a night of disarray, in which
movie people accepted awards for Aussie movies that went largely unwatched.
And, for once, the AFI TV awards appeared far more reflective of genuine
merit than self-serving political interests.
Host Russell Crowe got the phone gags out of the way early and though
I'm sure plenty would like to knock his performance, he was light years
in front of anyone the AFIs have offered up in recent times.
It was a big call for Crowe, having to host, work the routines, play
the phone gags and present awards for the first 20 minutes or so.
Too much, possibly, but this show had a sense of style for the first
time in ages.
OK, so it wasn't perfect, but the AFI hierarchy ought to get down on
bended knees and offer a big thank you to all those who put the show
together and to Nine for providing the telecast, no matter what time
it went to air.
Next year's AFIs will be better. It's on the road back after years
in the wilderness, and that's great for our industry.
Aussie television and film need the Logies and the AFIs. We were close
to losing the latter as a TV vehicle.
Not any more. Congratulations to all.
****
Herald Sun
28 NOV 2005
EDITORIAL
Five-star awards
THE Australian film industry has shown that not only can it produce
great movies again, it can celebrate in style too.
The AFI Awards, held at Melbourne's Docklands on Saturday night, highlighted
that the Australian film industry has much to offer, be it acting,
directing or writing.
From the emotional drama and Best Film winner Look Both Ways to the
historical western The Proposition, Aussie films have regained some
credibility.
Last year's AFI ceremony was punctuated by senior industry figures
wailing about the Free Trade Agreement that was about to be signed
with the United States.
Those fears linger, as host Russell Crowe pointed out during Saturday's
event.
But the current crop of movies showed that, instead of protectionism,
perhaps the best way to invigorate film-making in this country is to
simply make good films.
Obviously one good year won't disguise what is a fragile business.
But any success can be self-perpetuating, and hopefully more Australians
will want to see more home-grown productions.
|
The Sunday
Telegraph
SUN 06 NOV 2005
Russ takes awards upmarket - By SANDRA LEE
RUSSELL Crowe agreed to host the AFI Awards because he believes the annual event
celebrating Australian films and television needs a makeover.
"It's a big thing. They need to be on commercial TV. Our principal awards night
desperately needs to be positioned properly,'' Crowe said in an e-mail.
"When Strictly Ballroom crushed Romper Stomper, it wasn't even telecast live.''
Paul Dainty, who is producing the show for the first time, says he wants to
"make it more mainstream, which is all part of getting Russell on board and
getting it on Channel 9''.
The show will be a Golden Globes-style dinner extravaganza for 800 A-list
guests, filmed live in Melbourne and broadcast later this month.
Crowe, who has won three AFI awards and is in London filming Ridley Scott's A
Good Year, will return to host both the technical and acting awards on two consecutive
nights.
Despite that, he opposes the decision to split the awards.
"I don't agree with the choices they have made this time around, but Paul has
the ability to shape the telecasts for the future,'' he says.
"You can rest assured I will put in my two cents' worth, but there is no point
making it a
battle. It's a long-term process, the outcome of which can only
be positive for the industry.
"It's a celebration, and that means it has to be fun -- fun to attend, fun
to watch.'' |
